The present invention relates generally to the field of material handling. More specifically, the invention relates to a combination of wheeled carts for the transportation of materials and step stools for vertical displacement of a human.
It is well known to utilize a wheeled cart for hauling and transporting many types of materials. Indeed, one of the earliest uses of the wheel was likely as an attachment to a cart having a compartment or container for hauling materials. The modern wheelbarrow typically has one or two wheels attached to a container with handles for transporting materials—though more than two wheels may be included. Wheelbarrows are commonly utilized both domestically around the house and also by professional contractors.
The storage vessel or container of the wheelbarrow typically has several side walls, a bottom floor, and a top opening so that materials may be deposited into and held within the bottom and side walls. Typically, the front wall is angled outward from the bottom towards the top to permit and aid the materials in being dumped from the container. Typically the single wheel or the pair of wheels is positioned close to the front wall to facilitate dumping of the contents.
As such, wheelbarrows may be utilized to haul and dump a variety of materials. Typically, wheelbarrows are utilized in landscaping, farming, and construction industries. For instance, they may be utilized in the mixing and hauling of cement, mortar, or concrete. They may be utilized in hauling soil, fertilizer, gravel, or sand. Similarly, they may be utilized in hauling lawn clippings, pruned branches, wood chips, mulch, or pine straw.
Much like the wheelbarrow, steps and stools have been utilized for many years. Step stools, ladders, scaffolding, and the like have been utilized in various ways and for various purposes in order to elevate a person vertically from a lower position to a higher position. For instance, upon ascending a step stool, a person may be able to reach an object positioned at a distance from the ground that was previously unreachable by the person.
Similarly, like the wheelbarrow, step stools and ladders are utilized in the field of material handling and especially in the landscaping, farming, and construction industries. For instance, a landscaper may utilize a stepstool in order to reach higher limbs on a tree or bush which require pruning. A farmer may utilize a stepstool in order to climb into the bed of a pickup truck or to reach implements positioned high in a barn. Likewise, a construction contractor may utilize a step stool in framing a structure, painting, installing plumbing and electrical conduit, or in hanging dry wall at an elevated position.
Therefore, under the current state of the art, it is common for many tasks to require both a step stool and also a wheeled cart such as a wheelbarrow. Thus, there is a need in the art for a device which combines the functionality of both wheeled cart and also a step stool.